Andre Silva earns 7/10 and three points for Milan with winner from bench

Andre Silva provided a sigh of relief for Milan with his first Serie A goal.

AC Milan secured a dramatic last-gasp win at Genoa on Sunday, with Andre Silva scoring his first Serie A goal with the last touch of the game. The Rossoneri struggled to get going for the most part, but they managed to produce a decisive moment at the end.

Positives

Particularly with Lazio dropping points, it was imperative that Milan took advantage by closing the gap on the top four. Further, it will be a huge relief for all concerned for Silva to get on the mark for the first time in Serie A; he has had a real struggle this season.

Negatives

Milan were slow, lethargic and didn’t play with enough pace or intensity on or off the ball, which made it a difficult evening. Their slow tempo allowed Genoa to set up defensively and frustrate them, while they also had great goal-scoring opportunities of their own.

Manager rating out of 10

7 — Gennaro Gattuso deserves credit for his changes in particular. He showed bravery and a desire to win by introducing Patrick Cutrone and Silva, while moving Fabio Borini further up the field. He’ll need to fire them up against Arsenal on Thursday, as they still looked a little off the pace.

Player ratings (1-10, 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Gianluigi Donnarumma, 6 — Dealt with danger with minimal fuss, albeit he wasn’t called into action much. He registered another clean sheet while also keeping things simple with his distribution.

DF Fabio Borini, 6 — A solid performance considering he was asked to show his versatility and play out of position at right-back. He was able to nullify Diego Laxalt’s threat for the most part and pushed forward when possible.

DF Leonardo Bonucci, 7 — Produced another solid defensive display; as he didn’t give much for Genoa to feed off up top. Started to push forward as the game went on to try and find a breakthrough, although his long-range passing was a bit wayward at times.

DF Alessio Romagnoli, 7 — Yet again, he barely put a foot wrong defensively. He was constantly ending Genoa attacks in the final third with key interceptions and tackles. Keeps it simple with his passing compared to Bonucci, but efficient in that part of the game too.

DF Ricardo Rodriguez, 6 — Faded a little as the game went on, but as with Borini, he restricted Genoa’s joy down the flanks and tried to support attacks and offer width by getting forward when he could.

Gennaro Gattuso can rest easy after closing the gap on Serie A’s top-four with a last-minute win.

MF Franck Kessie, 6 — His energy and work rate is always going to be valuable to Milan, but he was too sloppy on the ball. Didn’t make his usual driving runs forward, and that was an issue in Milan being so stagnant as they struggled to break through Genoa’s lines.

MF Lucas Biglia, 6 — Looked a little tired. He didn’t cover as much ground defensively as he has done during a more positive run of form. While he continues to play a pivotal role in breaking play up to regain possession, he is still limited in what he does with the ball.

MF Giacomo Bonaventura, 6 — Another player who looks like he could benefit from rest. Although he had his moments with dangerous attempts on goal, he became less of a factor as the game went on and arguably should have come off sooner.

FW Suso, 6 — On a positive note, he always looked a constant threat for Milan, particular in the latter stages. However, until his delivery for the winning goal, he was often guilty of giving away possession or failing to find a target with his crosses into the box. Deserves credit for a decisive assist.

FW Nikola Kalinic, 5 — Forced Mattia Perin into an excellent save early on, but after that he disappeared. It’s difficult to understand what Gattuso sees in him — he isn’t scoring goals, didn’t put pressure on from the front and barely got involved in play.

FW Hakan Calhanoglu, 5 — It could be argued that he’s another player struggling with fatigue. He’s lost that bit of sharpness in his passing and isn’t as inventive as he was during an impressive period of form. Needs to be a more influential figure on the left.

Substitutes

FW Patrick Cutrone, 6 — As expected, the youngster provided Milan with a lift as soon as he came on. He hassled the Genoa defenders off the ball and kept them busy with his movement. He had a positive impact on the game.

FW Andre Silva, 7 — The Portugal international ended his wait for a Serie A goal, producing a top finish to head home Suso’s cross. Desperately needed a big moment as he has struggled this season, and he’ll hope that this earns him more playing time and a chance to be a more regular fixture in the lineup.

DF Davide Calabria, N/A — A really important introduction to the game. His energy down the right and attacking threat pushed Genoa deeper in the closing stages.